In four of the last five seasons, the Boston Bruins have finished in the top three of the Atlantic Division, two of those seasons not only winning the division but also the Presidents’ Trophy. After falling just short of taking home their 27th divisional title in franchise history last season, the Bruins now have a lineup that without a doubt should not only be contending for a playoff spot but one that should finish at the peak of the Atlantic.
Offseason Additions Strengthened Roster
After another heartbreaking loss to the Florida Panthers sent the Bruins packing, it was clear the goal this offseason was to make improvements throughout the lineup even if it meant parting ways from staples of the core. Jake DeBrusk, Linus Ullmark, and Matt Grzelcyk were some key members of past Bruins teams who found homes in new organizations but were replaced with players who fill positions Boston desperately needed filled.
Since Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired in 2023, the team has lacked a true number-one center to play alongside David Pastrnak. Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle each had career campaigns in an attempt to fill the gigantic void caused by the hall-of-famers’ departures, but there was still something missing depth wise, so the Bruins signed Elias Lindholm to a seven-year, $54 million deal. Lindholm brings a Bergeron-style of two-way game only to a lesser extent which fits well with the Bruins core.
Many conversations after the Bruins were eliminated in May were about the lack of size on the blue line, mainly due to Grzelcyk’s small stature that often led him to getting overrun by oncoming forechecks. The Bruins signed Nikita Zadorov to a six-year, $30 million deal to aid that issue. Zadorov, who stands at six-foot-six and weighs 250 pounds, can log big minutes on any pair throughout the lineup. He adds toughness for opposition to play against, giving Boston one of the biggest defensive cores in the league.
The additions Boston made strengthen the main weaknesses the team showed last playoff run makes them a top candidate for a division title.
Divisional Rivals Lost Offseason Arms Race
If the Bruins are going to win the division and earn the privilege of playing a wild-card team in the opening round, they have to outperform the other seven teams in the Atlantic. In reality, they will likely only have an issue with two teams. The Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators may see improvements, but at most are fringe wild-card teams and not promising threats. Tampa Bay lost Mikhail Sergachev and longtime captain Steven Stamkos, effectively making them a worse-off team than before.
Related: How the Bruins Stack Up in the Atlantic Division After Free Agency
That leaves two teams that present a true challenge to coming first. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished third last season, seven points behind Boston with a 46-26-10 record. They were not incredibly active during the offseason, adding Anthony Stolarz in between the pipes along with Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the back end – good additions, but nothing that drastically improves their roster.
Boston’s most recent nemesis, the Florida Panthers, lost a lot of core members during free agency including newly-minted Leafs Stolarz and Ekman-Larsson as well as Brandon Montour, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Ryan Lomberg – all pivotal members of their Cup-winning group. Florida beat out Boston by a mere point last season, and by losing the arms race, are in a poor position to repeat as division winners.
Expect Internal Progression at All Positions
It isn’t too often the Bruins have many young players to look forward to. However, for the upcoming 2024-25 season, the Bs have a few players fans are keeping their eye out for. Matthew Poitras was having a terrific rookie campaign before it was derailed early due to a season-ending surgery. Whether it’s on the wing or down the middle, Poitras will look to continue that early success and build off it. The Ajax, Ontario native clearly made efforts in the offseason to get bigger and stronger on his feet which has been evident in preseason already.
Poitras leads the forward group for players to watch out for internally but is closely followed by the likes of John Beecher, Morgan Geekie, and potentially Fabian Lysell if the opportunity arises later down the season. On the back end, Mason Lohrei will have an exceeding season as his breakout season last year was a surprise to most. As the 23-year-old further develops his style, he will become more dynamic offensively and defensively. This is another area where the arrival of Zadorov helps as Lohrei can afford to make a few more mistakes given the quality defenders around him that can make up for them.
It is completely fair to assume the Bruins will see some improvement from these players and potentially even some unpredicted growth from players people aren’t even considering.
Promising Season Ahead, But Division Remains Tightly Matched
There is a true argument for the Atlantic Division having the closest group of potential playoff teams out of all the divisions league-wide. It is no easy task to put together a 110-plus point season and that is a good estimate of where Boston will need to get to in order to win another Atlantic title. The path is clear for the 2024-25 Bruins to play a wild card team come mid-April. It should be the expectation.
